Immigration article left mistaken impression

An article on the new Arizona immigration law (CR, April 29) stated that it makes it a crime to be here illegally, whereas “Federal law treats that as a civil violation.”For those unfamiliar with immigration law, this statement may leave a wrong impression. If you are in this country illegally because you entered this country illegally, you are guilty of a federal crime. See United States Code, Title 8, Section 1325. And you may be jailed, depending on the circumstances, for a period of six months to two years.Most illegal aliens are probably not here on expired visas. Many are here illegally because they entered illegally, and are therefore here in violation of federal criminal law.